Amphibious vehicle

Abstract

To provide an amphibian vehicle which can quickly move on a land to a flood damage occurrence site, and can perform rescue operation at the flood damage occurrence site while easily travelling on water.SOLUTION: An amphibian vehicle 1 includes: a vehicle body 3 in which water tightness of at least a cabin 2 is ensured; a land tire 4 attached to the vehicle body 3; a water tire 5 attached to the vehicle body 3; and a pair of left and right vehicle body floats 6 installed between a front wheel 5a and a rear wheel 5b concerning the water tire 5. A tire part 7 which constitutes an outer peripheral surface of the water tire 5 is metallic, a plurality of fins 9 are arranged on an outer side of a disk part 8, and a foam styrol 11 is arranged in a rim 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an amphibious vehicle, and more particularly to an amphibious vehicle suitable for rescue operations in the event of a flood. [Background technology]

[0002] When flood damage occurs due to river flooding caused by heavy rain such as a typhoon or a tsunami caused by an earthquake, rescue operations are generally carried out from the air by helicopter and from the ground by boat or jet ski. In particular, rescue operations using boats or jet skis allow rescuers to approach the victim relatively easily and are less susceptible to the effects of weather.

[0003] Meanwhile, the inventor of the present application has previously disclosed a variety of amphibious work vehicles and the like that are suitable for dredging work in water areas, debris removal work when flood damage occurs, and the like (see Patent Documents 1 to 3). The amphibious work vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1 comprises a work vehicle main body equipped with a mechanism for working on water, a crawler unit equipped with caterpillars for propelling the work vehicle main body, and a float unit for providing buoyancy to the work vehicle main body, the float unit consisting of a main float disposed within the caterpillars of the crawler unit and sub-floats attached to the sides of the main float, and the outer circumferential surface of the caterpillars is provided with fins that generate propulsive force on the water surface by paddling through the water as the caterpillars rotate.

[0004] In addition, the amphibious work vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 2 comprises a work vehicle body equipped with a mechanism for performing work on water, a crawler unit equipped with a caterpillar body for moving the work vehicle body, and a float unit for providing buoyancy to the work vehicle body, and the float unit consists of a main float arranged within the caterpillar body of the crawler unit and a sub-float attached to the side of the main float, and is characterized in that a water wheel is arranged on the side of the caterpillar body, consisting of a rotating body that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the caterpillar body and fins extending radially outward from the outer surface of the rotating body.

[0005] The amphibious work vehicles disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 can move while completely floating on the water's surface and can be used for work offshore, away from the coast or lakeshore, making them useful for disposing of debris that floats on the water's surface or sinks to the bottom after a tsunami, for example.

[0006] The amphibious vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 3 comprises a box-shaped float body, a center float with a central partition hole formed through it from top to bottom, box-shaped float bodies attached to the left and right sides of the center float, side floats with rear partition holes formed through them from top to bottom, a pair of spuds inserted into the left and right rear partition holes, a control platform fixed to the top of the central partition hole, a running device fixed to the bottom of the central partition hole, a movable dredging operation body attached to the front of the control platform, and a thruster for thrusting underwater provided on the outer side of each side float. and a thrust generating device that generates thrust, wherein a float extension portion is formed integrally with the front portion of each side float near the outside, extending the front end of the side float further forward than the front end of the center float, and a float extension portion is formed integrally with the rear portion of each side float near the outside, extending the rear end of the side float further rearward than the rear end of the center float, and one rear partition hole is provided at the center of a predetermined hole in each side float, and the hole center is set forward of the rear end of the center float and rearward of the front end of the center float.

[0007] The amphibious vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 3 reduces the possibility of tipping over when turning or dredging on the water, and by ensuring space for dredging operations at the front and rear ends of the center float, which is relatively short in length from front to back, workability can be improved even though the float shape itself is relatively compact.

[0008] Further disclosed are an amphibious vehicle equipped with a trailing arm suspension system with a built-in drive unit (see Patent Document 4), a power source that generates power, drive wheels for running on land that are driven by the power generated by the power source, a watertight body for navigation on water, with the drive wheels mounted on the outside and a floor, floats mounted on the underside of the floor for obtaining buoyancy on water, and multiple fins as a means of propulsion on water that are mounted on the drive shaft side of the contact surface of the drive wheels (see Patent Document 5). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-104897 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-85763 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-93816 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-235866 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-69885 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The amphibious work vehicles and amphibious vehicles disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 are suitable for dredging work in water areas, removing debris when floods occur, etc. However, these amphibious work vehicles and the like are transported to the site of use by being loaded onto a trailer or the like, or disassembled into parts that are transported to the site of use and assembled for use, and their land travel is limited to minimal travel in wetlands or near water, and they are not intended to be used for rapid self-propelled travel on land.

[0011] However, the amphibious vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 4 has a complex structure, which may lead to problems such as increased vehicle weight and higher costs. Additionally, the vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 5 is believed to provide an amphibious vehicle at low cost, but is believed to be difficult to use in water areas with a lot of drifting debris when carrying out rescue operations at flood sites.

[0012] In view of the above problems, the inventors of the present application conducted extensive research to provide an amphibious vehicle that can be quickly transported over land to the flood site and can easily travel on water at the flood site to carry out rescue operations, and as a result, they arrived at the present invention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] In other words, the amphibious vehicle of the present invention comprises a body with a watertight cabin, land tires attached to the body, water tires attached to the body, and a pair of left and right body floats attached between the front and rear wheels of the water tires, and is characterized in that the tire portion that forms the outer surface of the water tires is made of metal, a plurality of fins are arranged on the outer side of the disk portion, and polystyrene foam is arranged inside the rim.

[0014] In addition, the amphibious vehicle of the present invention is characterized in that a plurality of ribs are formed on the tire portion.

[0015] In addition, the amphibious vehicle of the present invention is characterized in that at least the tire portion is coated with polyurethane resin.

[0016] Furthermore, in the amphibious vehicle of the present invention, the body float is coated with polyurethane resin.

[0017] The amphibious vehicle of the present invention is also characterized in that it is provided with a pair of left and right jacks at the front and rear of the vehicle body.

[0018] In addition, the amphibious vehicle of the present invention is characterized in that the vehicle body is provided with a loading platform, and a crane is disposed on the loading platform.

[0019] Furthermore, the amphibious vehicle of the present invention is characterized in that a rescue basket is disposed above the cabin.

[0020] Furthermore, the amphibious vehicle of the present invention is characterized in that an outboard motor is provided at the rear of the vehicle body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] The amphibious vehicle of the present invention uses land tires when traveling on land, allowing it to quickly propel itself to the flood site, and at the flood site, by changing to water tires for traveling on water and attaching vehicle floats, it can travel on water and carry out rapid rescue operations. In particular, because the water tires of the amphibious vehicle of the present invention have at least the tire portion that makes up the outer surface made of metal, there is no risk of punctures even in water areas with a lot of driftwood, and rescue operations can be easily carried out while traveling on water.

[0022] Furthermore, since multiple fins are arranged on the outer side of the disk portion of the water tire, it is possible to easily drive on water by performing the same driving operations as when driving on land.

[0023] Furthermore, by disposing polystyrene foam inside the rim of a water tire, the water tire can also function as a float, making it easy to obtain the buoyancy required for traveling on water.

[0024] Furthermore, in the amphibious vehicle of the present invention, multiple ribs are formed on the tire portion of the water tire, and as the water tire is driven, the ribs act as a water wheel, thereby providing greater thrust and allowing the vehicle to easily drive through drifting debris and the like.

[0025] Furthermore, in the amphibious vehicle of the present invention, by applying polyurethane resin to at least the tire portion relating to the water tires, the strength of the outer surface of the water tires can be greatly improved, and damage to the water tires due to floating debris and the like when traveling on water can be prevented.

[0026] Furthermore, in the amphibious vehicle of the present invention, the strength of the body float is significantly improved by applying polyurethane resin to the body float, thereby preventing damage to the body float due to drifting debris or debris that has washed ashore.

[0027] Furthermore, by providing the amphibious vehicle of the present invention with a pair of left and right jacks at the front and rear of the vehicle body, tires can be changed immediately after arriving at the flood site, contributing to rapid rescue operations.

[0028] Furthermore, in the amphibious vehicle of the present invention, the vehicle body is provided with a loading platform on which a crane is mounted, allowing it to be used for a variety of purposes, such as lifting and moving land tires and water tires when changing tires, rescuing people in need of rescue, and lifting drifting debris, thereby improving the efficiency and reducing the labor required for rescue operations.

[0029] Furthermore, in the amphibious vehicle of the present invention, a rescue basket is arranged on top of the cabin, so that the rescue basket can be lifted by the crane or the like and thrown into the water, and can be used for various purposes, such as rescuing people in need of rescue and recovering drifting debris.

[0030] Furthermore, in the amphibious vehicle of the present invention, by providing an outboard motor at the rear of the vehicle body, it is possible to increase the speed of movement on water. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of an amphibious vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention when traveling on water. [Figure 2] Plan view of the amphibious vehicle shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3]FIG. 2 is a side view of the amphibious vehicle shown in FIG. 1 while traveling on land. [Figure 4] Plan view of the amphibious vehicle shown in Figure 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] An embodiment of an amphibian of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a side view of an amphibian 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention when traveling on water, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the amphibian 1 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side view of an amphibian 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention when traveling on land, and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the amphibian 1 shown in Fig. 3.

[0033] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment is composed of a body 3 in which at least the cabin 2 is watertight, land tires 4 (see Figures 3 and 4) attached to the body 3, water tires 5 attached to the body 3, and a pair of left and right body floats 6 attached between the front wheels 5a and rear wheels 5b of the water tires 5.

[0034] The vehicle body 3 of the amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment is based on a commercially available vehicle and includes a watertight cabin 2. Using a commercially available vehicle as a base allows for significant cost reduction compared to developing and manufacturing a vehicle specifically for amphibious vehicles. The vehicle body 3 of this embodiment has a raised height to prevent water from entering the engine compartment and cabin 2 while traveling on water and to ensure space for installing the vehicle body floats 6. By pre-setting the vehicle height of the amphibious vehicle 1 so that the waterline is located below the bottom of the door opening while traveling on water, water can be easily prevented from entering the cabin 2 without requiring special modifications to ensure watertightness. The vehicle body 3 is not limited to any particular vehicle type; any commercially available vehicle, such as a passenger car or truck, can be used. However, pickup trucks are preferred for rescue operations during floods.

[0035] The water tires 5 on the amphibian 1 of this embodiment are characterized by the fact that the tire portions 7 on their outer periphery are made of metal. When traveling on land, the amphibian 1 of this embodiment is fitted with land tires 4 equipped with ordinary rubber tires, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, but when traveling on water, these are replaced with water tires 5 having metal tire portions 7, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. There are no particular restrictions on the type of metal that can form the tire portions 7, and any high-strength material such as iron or steel can be used, but since lightweight is also important when traveling on water, aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys, etc. are preferred.

[0036] The water tire 5 according to this embodiment is also characterized in that it has a plurality of fins 9 disposed on the outer side of the disk portion 8, and polystyrene foam 11 disposed within the rim 10. The plurality of fins 9 disposed on the outer side of the disk portion 8 of the water tire 5 rotate like a water wheel as the water tire 5 is driven, generating thrust when traveling on water. Meanwhile, the polystyrene foam 11 disposed within the rim 10 of the water tire 5 functions as a float. In other words, the water tire 5 according to this embodiment functions both as a propeller for generating thrust to travel on water, and as a float.

[0037] The amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment, which has at least the above-mentioned configuration, uses land tires 4, which are made of ordinary rubber, when traveling on land, allowing it to quickly travel under its own power to the flood site. Once at the flood site, the tires can be replaced with water tires 5 for traveling on water and body floats 6 can be attached, allowing the vehicle to travel on water, enabling rapid rescue operations.

[0038] In particular, the water tires 5 of the amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment have tire portions 7 that form the outer surface made of metal, so there is no risk of punctures even in water areas with a lot of drifting debris, and rescue operations can be easily carried out while driving on the water.

[0039] Furthermore, since multiple fins 9 are arranged on the outer side of the disc portion 8 of the water tire 5 according to this embodiment, by performing the same driving operations on water as when driving on land, the fins 9 rotate, generating thrust, making it easy to drive on water.

[0040] Furthermore, by disposing polystyrene foam 11 inside the rim 10 of the water tire 5, the water tire 5 can also function as a float, making it easy to obtain the buoyancy required for traveling on water.

[0041] Although the main components of the amphibian 1 of this embodiment have been described in detail above, the amphibian of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the amphibian 1 according to this embodiment, it is preferable that the tire portion 7 constituting the outer surface of the water tire 5 is formed with a plurality of ribs 12. Because the tire portion 7 is made of metal, various processing can be easily performed on the surface of the tire portion 7, and grooves similar to the tread pattern found on ordinary rubber tires can also be formed. In particular, by forming a plurality of ribs 12 on the tire portion 7 according to this embodiment, the ribs 12 act as water wheels as the water tire 5 is driven, thereby generating greater thrust. Furthermore, the ribs 12 allow the vehicle to easily push through drifting debris and provide anti-slip effect when landing.

[0042] Furthermore, in the amphibious vehicle 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is particularly preferable that the tire portion 7 constituting the outer surface of the water tire 5 is coated with polyurethane resin. Polyurethane resin is a resin compound based on urea bonds formed by the chemical reaction of isocyanate and polyamine, and is known to exhibit extremely high waterproof, chemical, abrasion, heat, and corrosion resistance capabilities. Therefore, by coating this polyurethane resin on at least the tire portion 7 of the water tire 5, as well as the entire water tire 5 including the disk portion 8 and polystyrene foam 11 that constitute the water tire 5, the strength of not only the tire portion 7 of the water tire 5 but also the water tire 5 itself can be significantly improved, and damage to the water tire 5 caused by drifting debris and the like while traveling on water can be prevented.

[0043] Furthermore, in the amphibious vehicle 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is particularly preferable that polyurethane resin is also applied to the body float 6. As with the above-described water tire 5, by applying polyurethane resin to the body float 6, the strength of the body float 6 is significantly improved, and damage to the body float 6 due to drifting debris or debris that has washed ashore can be prevented.

[0044] Furthermore, in the amphibious vehicle 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, a pair of left and right jacks 13 is preferably provided at the front and rear of the vehicle body 3. The amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment is capable of traveling on water by swapping the land tires 4 for water tires 5. Therefore, by pre-installing the jacks 13 in predetermined positions on the vehicle body 3, tires can be quickly replaced at the site of a flood, allowing rescue operations to begin promptly. The locations of the jacks 13 are not particularly limited, and a pair of left and right jacks 13 (total of two) may be installed in the center of the vehicle body 3. However, from the perspective of ensuring stability when supporting the vehicle body 3 and securing the position of the vehicle body floats 6, it is preferable to install a pair of left and right jacks 13 (total of four) at the front and rear of the vehicle body 3, as in the amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment.

[0045] Furthermore, in the amphibious vehicle 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the vehicle body 3 is equipped with a loading platform 14, and that the loading platform 14 is equipped with a crane 15. By applying a commercially available pickup truck-type vehicle equipped with a loading platform 14 to the vehicle body 3 and equipping this loading platform 14 with a crane 15, the vehicle can be used for a variety of purposes, such as lifting and moving the land tires 4 and water tires 5 when changing them, rescuing people in need of rescue during rescue operations, and lifting drifting debris, thereby improving the efficiency and reducing the labor required for rescue operations.

[0046] Furthermore, in the amphibious vehicle 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, a rescue basket 17 is preferably provided on top of the cabin 2. The location of the rescue basket 17 is not particularly limited, but from the perspective of effective utilization of dead space, for example, a roof rack 16 may be installed on top of the cabin 2, and the rescue basket 17 may be provided on this roof rack 16. The rescue basket 17 can then be lifted by a crane 15 or the like and thrown into water, or by attaching a rope or the like to the rescue basket 17 and throwing it into water, allowing it to be used for various purposes, such as rescuing people in need of rescue or recovering drifting debris. If there is no roof rack 16, the rescue basket 17 may be provided on the cargo bed 14, and rescue equipment other than the rescue basket 17 may be provided on the roof rack 16.

[0047] Furthermore, in the amphibian 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, an outboard motor 18 may be disposed at the rear of the body 3. In the amphibian 1 according to the embodiment, the water tires 5 are driven to generate thrust for travel on water using the fins 9 provided on the water tires 5, and by disposing an outboard motor at the rear of the body 3, it is possible to increase the speed of travel on water.

[0048] Although the amphibious vehicle 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, this should not be construed as substantially limiting the technical concept of the present invention. For example, the amphibious vehicle 1 according to the embodiment described above may be equipped with lights 19 useful for rescue operations at night, and it is more preferable that a winch 20 be provided at the front of the vehicle body 3.

[0049] Furthermore, when the amphibious vehicle 1 of the present embodiment is equipped with a loading platform 14, the water tires 5 and body floats 6 can be loaded onto the loading platform 14 when traveling on land to a flood site. However, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the water tires 5 and body floats 6 can also be loaded onto a trailer 21 and towed by the amphibious vehicle 1 to the flood site. After arriving at the site, rescue operations can be initiated quickly by lifting the body 3 with the jack 13, hoisting the water tires 5 and body floats 6 with the crane 15, and moving them to the installation position for installation. In the amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the trailer 21 is detached when traveling on water, but it is also possible to travel on water with the trailer 21 towed. The trailer 21 can be utilized when there are many people needing rescue or items to be recovered at the flood site. The present invention can be implemented with appropriate improvements, modifications, and additions based on the ingenuity and ingenuity of those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1: Amphibious vehicle 2: Cabin 3: Body 4:Track tires 5: Water tires 5a: Front wheel 5b: Rear wheel 6: Body float 7: Tire section 8:Disc section 9: Finn 10: Rim 11: Styrofoam 12: Rib 13: Jack 14: Cargo bed 15: Crane 16: Roof rack 17: Rescue basket 18: Outboard motor 19: Light 20: Winch 21: Trailer

Claims

1. The body of the vehicle ensures watertightness of the cabin, a land tire attached to the vehicle body when traveling on land; water tires that are attached to the vehicle body in place of the land tires when traveling on water; a pair of left and right vehicle body floats mounted between the front and rear wheels of the water tire; The invention comprises: An amphibious vehicle characterized in that the tire portion constituting the outer peripheral surface of the water tire is made of metal, a plurality of fins are arranged on the outer side of the disk portion, and polystyrene foam is arranged inside the rim.

2. 2. An amphibian according to claim 1, wherein the tire portion is formed with a plurality of ribs.

3. 3. An amphibious vehicle according to claim 1, wherein at least the tire portion is coated with polyurethane resin.

4. 4. An amphibious vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the body float is coated with polyurethane resin.

5. 5. An amphibious vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a pair of left and right jacks at the front and rear of the vehicle body.

6. 6. An amphibious vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle body is provided with a loading platform, and a crane is disposed on the loading platform.

7. 7. An amphibious vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a rescue basket is disposed above the cabin.

8. 8. An amphibious vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising an outboard motor provided at the rear of the vehicle body.

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